


Shooting Star

by Lexsssu



Series: Commissions [1]
Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Gen, commission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27735925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexsssu/pseuds/Lexsssu
Summary: ╭─────────╮𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇?𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓅𝓊𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝓉𝑜 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓅𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝑔𝒶𝒾𝓃𝓈𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝓅𝑒𝓇?𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓃𝓈𝓅𝒾𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝓃𝓈𝓅𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓈?╰─────────╯
Series: Commissions [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028862
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Harunnah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harunnah/gifts).



His name is Tasuke Satomi.

Aged 19, a college student at the Mitakihara Institute of Sciences. Currently he has no major and was taking his time before choosing which specific science he’d resign himself to learn about and work in until the day he dies.

He also had an older brother who was currently studying meticulously in medical school to become a doctor and take over as the head of their family’s hospital. As expected for the eldest son and heir.

But him? He was merely a spare just in case his elder brother didn’t quite live up to their family’s expectations.

Since the heir met all the requirements of the clan head, his life as spare was more or less rendered meaningless. Aside from his stellar academics, Takashi Satomi was already engaged to the heiress of a well-known pharmaceutical company. Though it was merely a marriage of convenience for the sake of their respective corporations it was one that Takashi accepted, being the pragmatic man that he was.

Tasuke was merely a failsafe.

Specifically, one rendered useless since the original was never broken in the first place.

And so the ashen-haired teen spent his days without any clear goal in mind for himself. His family had no expectations for him, because all their hopes were riding on his outstanding sibling which left him free to do whatever he wanted as long as it didn’t bring any shame to their family.

Some people probably envied his life.

A wealthy family to back you up without any expectations to excel or accomplish this or that? No rules except not to dishonor his family? When you think about it, the possibilities were endless and any young man his age would probably trade their ordinary lives for his in a heartbeat.

But he wasn’t like most young men.

He wasn’t driven by a sense to prove himself, to rise above his peers, he didn’t harbor any greed for more wealth, nor did he carry vices that would certainly lead him to his downfall.

Tasuke simply existed.

He went about the everyday motions as if he were on autopilot.

There were no expectations for him other than not to do anything so stupid that it could potentially ruin his family. Nothing more, nothing less.

This was reality for the smokey-haired male.

Growing up, everyone who tried to make friends with him were meticulously examined and were subjected to background checks to ensure that they harbored no ill intentions towards a scion of the Satomi Group. At the same time, only those who were deemed to be beneficial to the company were allowed to interact with him outside of class-related work.

So even if he had much more freedom compared to the rigid schedule Takashi had, Tasuke was still no better than a bird stuck in a gilded cage.

He can fly whenever and wherever he wants to, but only within the confines of his glass prison. Always looking out and seeing the carefree lives of everyone else around him while they look inside and see only the extravagance that surrounded him.

**Ŧħɇɍɇ ɨs nø ɇsȼȺᵽɇ.**

They are blind to the ball and chain securely locked on his ankle. 

**Ⱥ ȼȺǥɇđ ƀɨɍđ.**

Blinded by the opulence that surrounded him, mere decorations placed to distract one’s gaze from the strings that rooted him to a family that only saw him for what he could give them.

**Ŧħɨs ɨs ħɇłł.**

This is his reality.

Perhaps the years he spent underneath the oppressive heel of his clan had finally gotten to him, because one moment he was exploring the city during the free period in between his classes, then the next his feet started carrying him towards...somewhere.

It felt like Tasuke was in a dream and he was sleep-walking. Somewhat aware that his physical body was moving and yet unable to wake up, much less control himself. 

There was only the sound of static, a faint buzzing that filled his ears and prevented his muddled mind to form any coherent thought.

**_ᵾsɇłɇss ᵾsɇłɇss ᵾsɇłɇss_ **

If he tries hard enough, he can make out a few words beneath the fuzziness of the static.

**_ᵾnwȺnŧɇđ ᵾnwȺnŧɇđ ᵾnwȺnŧɇđ_ **

Although the words were hard to hear, it didn’t prevent him from understanding them

.

.

.

...because they were the words he guarded within his heart.

Like a gaping infected wound, it never disappeared and throbbed painfully whenever he was faced with the reality of his meager existence. It throbbed and festered beneath the surface, constantly reminding him that his existence is futile when the original was already so outstanding.

Takashi glittered and shined despite the walls that surrounded him, turning his cage into a looking glass that ordinary people could only look into as they wept with envy.

While he, the unneeded spare, the neglected son, the caged bird, could only keep his song of lament within the deepest recesses of his heart. 

And as he fought with the demons that whispered into his ears, poisoning his mind and heart with despair, was unaware how his legs brought him to the old abandoned observatory near the edge of the city. Its dilapidated walls crawling with vines and spiderwebs of cracks, the aged cement chipping off and seemingly ready to collapse at any moment.

Had he been completely conscious and in control of his body, he’d probably have noticed how the once ruined doorway had morphed, looking far different from the observatory and being so obviously out of place against the worn building.

Like a portal into Wonderland, he walked into the door and entered a place not meant for any living human.

A pair of dark glassy eyes stared into nothingness as creatures that existed beyond the realm of man skirted around him, tugging his unresponsive body up the crumbling steps. Laughter echoed throughout the once abandoned place as hundreds of voices jeered at the sight of the defenseless male.

The cacophony of their laughter became louder and louder as he neared the top of the stairs with each step.

Tasuke was blind and deaf to everything except the large open balcony at the top, the voices within his mind whispering sweet nothings about the promise of salvation once he reached the top.

He could feel the cold wind biting at his skin with every step that beckoned him closer and closer, completely unaware that the balcony he tried to reach had lost its floors decades ago as wear and tear broke it down.

Only a steep drop awaited him.

And with it, salvation.

Just a little bit more and he can finally spread his wings and leave the cage that trapped him to a life not of his choosing.

Death was the answer.

It was the only way to open the door.

And as he took the first step into oblivion, his ears picked up a faint voice.


	2. Chapter 2

“Whatcha got there, Dusty?”

“...You do know that’s not my name, right?”

“Well yeah but I thought Dusty sounded a lot better than your name, ya know? Tasuke sounds so...boring”

“...I’ll pretend you didn’t say that this time, shortstack”

“Hey! I’m not THAT short! And it’s called fun-sized you overgrown beanpole!”

“Sorry kid, but you have to be this tall to ride this ride”

“...One more word from you about my height and I’ll actually clobber you with my morning star”

The ashen-haired male only scoffed and rolled his eyes at the empty threat, turning his attention back to the notebook in his hands, scribbling furiously as words swiftly filled the once empty pages. 

While Tasuke endeavored to ignore her, the brunette took the action none too kindly. With the strength granted to her as a magical girl, the smaller girl dubbed as ‘ _ shortstack _ ’ easily plucked it from the slightly older male.

“I asked you a question earlier. What’s this you’re writing about?” Seafoam-green eyes skimmed over the pages leisurely, blissfully ignoring the miffed college student who could only glare at the high school girl’s utter lack of manners.

Although he wasn’t as uptight as his elder brother, Tasuke still expected even a shred of civility and decorum from people who decided to engage with him.

“It’s all just a bunch of scribbles about...magical girls? Huh...so you wanna be a magical girl or something too?”

His left eye twitched.

“I don’t really think the little cat-squirrel thing accepts men as magical girls though…”

He clenched his fists, the knuckles turning white.

“...but if your heart’s really set on it then it’s not my job to judge.”

He was sure he’d start coughing up blood at this point.

“You’re a weird guy, Dusty but I support you and whatever freaky stuff you’re into”

Tasuke could not be held accountable for the amount of noogies he gave the little shit he had the ‘misfortune’ of meeting. 

The bruise he received later was more than worth it after seeing the mess he made of her hair thanks to the rough hair ruffling.

* * *

The only sounds one could pick up was that of a pencil on paper and the occasional tinkle of the tiny bell attached to the quaint little cafe’s front door, announcing either the arrival or departure of a customer.

Seated at the farthest table was Tasuke, a lone coffee cup whose contents had already cooled hours ago and an untouched cake stayed at the farthest end of his table. Surrounding him on all corners of his little island however was several mountains of books whose topics ranged from science, to history, to even mythology. He’d been at the cafe for hours and yet he’s no closer to uncovering the whole truth about the phenomenon of, dare he say it with a straight face,  **magical girls** .

Ever since he’d been saved by a girl who claimed to be one several days ago, the male was kept up at night by the seemingly endless questions he had about their mere existence. His whole world had been upended ever since the day he found himself within that abandoned observatory, the reality he lived in crumbling into mere dust and making him question everything he knew about the world and the way it worked.

Nothing made sense and yet he was still grasping at straws to make sense of it all anyway.

Maybe it was because he grew up knowing what to expect in life and what was expected of him that he had a jaded view of the world. Most of the time it felt like he was a mere leaf going along wherever the strongest winds took him, because what was he really other than a mere pawn to be used? Despite being an unneeded spare his family still had uses for him, meaning that he was allowed only a certain degree of freedom when it concerned what he wanted to do in his life. 

But this...this phenomenon before him was something totally beyond the realm of logic, beyond the sphere of influence his family had, and something that stood beyond his gilded cage.

And he needed to know more.

Like a man possessed, he scoured and raided the city’s libraries and even took out some books from his own clan’s private collection. All so he could piece together the intricate puzzle placed before him.

Tasuke was currently reading a historical account of St. Joan of Arc who, according to the various accounts, was possibly a magical girl as well—

“You’re REALLY into magical girls, aren’t ya Dusty?”

A startled yelp escaped his lips at the sudden intrusion, dropping the heavy tome in his hands with a thud as a certain brunette highschool student shamelessly slid into the seat across him as if she wasn’t an interloper.

He could only glare lightly at her for breaking him from his concentration, but she simply disregarded or just didn’t notice his ire at all as she leisurely sipped on a large chilled milk tea that looked even bigger than it actually was when compared to her dainty hand.

The more he looked at her, the more he could barely believe that there was so much strength in such a small body. Chihiro Hoshino as she had introduced herself during their rather unforgettable first meeting stood at barely 5ft., an extra inch or so only being added to her height thanks to the little tuft of hair that seemed to defy gravity regardless if she was transformed or not. The rest of her brown hair was tied into two separate low pigtails, a few strands messily yet artfully cradling her soft, cherubic face offset by a pair of seafoam green orbs.

If he was as hormonal as the rest of his peers or at least put as much importance in outer appearances, he could call her conventionally cute. The beauty mark at the bottom of her right eye and the slightly crooked smile that gave her a mischievous air emphasized her youthful beauty.

She was, for all intents and purposes, a cute highschool girl. A highschool girl that wielded seemingly unparalleled power in such a small body and fought creatures that lurked beneath the perception of normal men. Risking life and limb without any hope of recognition all to pay the debt of a single wish.

What her wish was though, he never asked. The idea of an unrestrained wish, free from any rules and regulations unlike those of genies from the stories was mind baffling. 

It wasn’t his place to ask, but…

If given the chance, he certainly knew what his wish would be if he had such an opportunity like her.

* * *

The brunette loudly slurped the extra large cup of milk tea in her hands as she stared at the male still so caught up in his magical girl research. Chihiro made sure to be as loud as possible with each slurp, the corner of her lips curling up with unabashed glee.

“...Are you planning on acting like a civilized human being any time soon or is basic decency a foreign concept for you?”

“Hate to break it to you Dusty but this is a cafe” She shrugged nonchalantly, a lazy smirk resting upon her cherubic face as she pretended to check her nails. “I’m just doing what I’m supposed to be doing unlike you. The coffee’s already gone cold by now and the cake looks so lonely without even a single bite on it”

As much as he wanted to refute her words...she was right.

With an over exaggerated sigh, the ashen-haired young man finally set down his pencil and neatly arranged the scattered books on the table to the side, finally gracing the cold coffee and neglected cake with his attention.

For the next several minutes only the sound of two people eating and drinking filled the quaint store other than the soft jazz music that played during the store’s business hours.

Only when Tasuke placed the first bite of food in his mouth did he realize that he hadn’t eaten all day save for the light breakfast he had before leaving the family estate. Because of this the dessert was quickly devoured before the student slipped out of the booth to order more food at the counter. He’d completely forgotten to eat when he lost himself in the throes of his adrenaline-fueled research.

Back at the table, the seemingly playful smirk upon Chihiro’s lips softened into a miniscule tired smile when he left to procure more food.

* * *

“I know I said I’d support you and your weird fetishes, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not curious why you’re so hung up on magical girls. We’re more or less just the same as all the ones you watch in anime or read in manga, ya know?” 

Chihiro blew away the wayward strands of hair that got into her eyes as she leaned against the dilapidated walls of Mitakihara’s ancient observatory.

Despite being the epicenter of their less than stellar first meeting and Tasuke’s potential grave back then, there was something about this desolate place that made the two rather unlikely souls gravitate towards it.

While he never purposely sought after the girl, she somehow always found him anyway. A small part of him was annoyed, but he’d be lying to himself if he said that he wasn’t utterly flummoxed about her mere existence as a magical girl and that he didn’t want to know more about the life she led.

Right now she was still in her magical girl regalia, most likely fresh from another battle with those ‘witches’ she fought. Her feet were encased by a pair of knee-high boots, the same shade of blue as the night sky with the spurs shaped like a pair of twin stars. Going upwards, she wore soft, puffy white bloomers lined with gold at the edges, looking as plush as clouds. She wore an eggshell-white inner shirt lined with gold buttons and wrapped around her collar was a small little necktie patterned with the starry sky and topped with a gem shaped into a north star motif. The coat around her shoulders was long and seemingly defied gravity like that stubborn curl in her hair, fanning out as the white color from the top transitioned into a softer, lighter galaxy pattern near the tips.

No matter how much he wanted to poke fun at her for the heck of it, Tasuke cannot deny that she was mesmerizing...at least in this form.

But it will be a cold day in hell before he ever admits this, because he had standards and the last thing he wanted was for her head to grow even bigger than it already was.

“Not everyone has the time to play around you know. I’m much too busy with all the work that must be done both at home and in school” Despite not having as many expectations as Takashi, Tasuke still had a strict upbringing where there were still certain things expected of him. One of them was to maintain an above average grade at all times for every subject at the very least, anything lower was considered a slap to the fierce pride of the Satomi family.

His time and attention was solely devoted to his studies and maintaining his image as a second son of the illustrious Satomi clan. No more, no less.

What he was doing right now was still within the realm of his studies, because it was an undiscovered or at the very least heavily undocumented phenomena that challenged the very laws of the universe. As a man of science, even if he hasn’t decided which specific science he wanted to study, it was merely his duty as a student to research and maybe one day report his findings for the world to discover.

Perhaps if he brings this sort of unparalleled glory to his family they might finally set him free to live his life the way he wanted to—

“I guess we aren’t that different after all”

Tasuke’s head snapped up at her reply.

The brunette tilted her head to the sky, soft auburn strands cradling her pale cheeks as she stared at the lonely moon, its stars hidden due to the constant light pollution within the city. Yet the moonbeams still managed to reach her anyway, giving her an ethereal glow. Coupled by her choice of outfit, he couldn’t help but draw some similarities between her and another aglow lady from the stars.

“It gets too boring when you always have to study just because your parents told you to.” Chihiro shot him an enigmatic smile and said no more.

It was a lovely night.


	3. Chapter 3

Her name is Chihiro Hoshino.

She is 17 years old and a highschool student at Mitakihara Academy.

She lived in a regular house in the suburbs with just her mom. 

Her parents had divorced when she was young, but her dad doesn’t forget to send child support and visits or calls her as much as he can. 

She wakes up at 6AM from Monday to Saturday to go to school. Mom is usually already gone by then and is always too busy to make breakfast so she usually just eats a piece of buttered toast. 

While eating she also reviews her notes for school, adhering to the color coded day-by-day schedule her mom made for her. It was several feet long, because it detailed her activities from the moment she woke up until the time she needed to sleep. Such a detailed schedule was something her mom made for her to ensure maximum efficiency of her time. After her regular classes Chihiro still has to go to cram school right after, which is then followed by another study session at home until it was finally time to hit the hay.

By the time she’s finished her daily activities, mom would usually arrive home and they would have a quiet dinner together save for her mom asking her about updates on her studies.

“ _ I’m not making you study because I don’t want you to have fun...I just want you to study well so that you can get into a good university and get a good job in the long run. As long as your successful there’s nothing else you need to be happy _ ”

Those were the exact words mom said to her, but whether they were actually words to comfort her or her mother’s way to comfort herself and justify her actions, she didn’t know.

* * *

“ _...Dad sent pictures of his new baby earlier. He’s really cute… _ ”

“ _...Huh...good for him then… _ ”

Face to face conversations were rare, but even during the times where it was possible it could be hardly called one. 

The brunette doesn’t miss the whiteness of her mother’s knuckles when she gripped her utensils tightly.

“ _ He...invited me to visit his house next week to see the baby _ ”

“ _...You know we’re going to have to adjust your schedule if you insist on going _ ”

“ _ I know… _ ”

“ _ If we’re clear on this then I’ll revise your schedule for that day, but I expect you to follow my carefully crafted plan so we can stay on track _ ”

“ _ Of course _ ”

Only the clinking of glass and other tableware was heard right after.

* * *

It was summer.

Chihiro had already finished her cram school and self-study session for the day ahead of time. 

Leaving her with a little time where she could do anything she wanted.

Bundled up in bed sheets like a caterpillar, she sat on her bed with her open laptop. On the screen played a rather popular romance series lately, one that had swept across the world and taken in by storm. 

This was her secret.

Her guilty pleasure.

Despite having never had any romantic feelings for anyone, her heart called out to the characters as they experienced the ups and downs of their love. For the her that couldn’t afford to allow any sort of distraction in her life, this was the only thing that made her mundane life have even just a little semblance of color.

_ “Ah, I’m sorry! I thought no one would still be here at this time so I just barged in without knocking…” _

_ “No harm done. It is this one’s fault for not announcing our presence” _

As the male and female lead had their fated encounter, Chihiro sighed happily as she sipped on her mug of warm tea.

* * *

_ On a grassy field beneath the night sky stood two figures. _

_ One was a tall, lithe raven-haired young man with deep hazel eyes staring forlornly at a young woman with cinnamon-colored locks. _

“ _...that’s why...I have to set you free, Yue. I can’t….I don’t want to be the reason you give up on your dreams _ ”

“ _ Mari...I… _ ”

NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO

This can’t be happening.

Yue and Mari can’t split up!

Mari can’t give up Yue just because she believes that it was better for her to stay out of his life so he could pursue his dreams!

_ “Papa and mama aren’t splitting up because we hate you. Papa loves you and mama with all his heart. You both will always have a piece of me with you no matter how much time passes.” _

_ Chihiro looks up at her father with tears in her eyes, showing her utter rejection of the news. _

_ Aware of his child’s feelings, the man could only pull her small body into an embrace and patted her head. _

_ “Papa knows that mama and Chi-chan love him very much, but...mama has so many things she still wants to do and papa believes her. He believes that she’ll do a lot of great things, but papa can’t help at all so he has to move aside…” _

Although it was only a show, it touched upon feelings and memories that she tried so hard to bury in her heart. 

_ “Your dad and I...we’re just not meant together. I loved him, god knows I do…” The usually immaculately-dressed woman ran a hand through her disheveled chocolate locks, pursing her red-painted lips and taking a drag of her cigarette. “It just isn’t the right time for us. He wants to settle already, but me? I can’t help but feel that there’s so much more for me out there…” _

She imagines what life would be like if her family never split apart.

Perhaps she’d wake up to a family that greeted her every morning for breakfast. A lunchbox would be readied for her before she left and by the time she came home she’d actually be greeted upon her return.

Maybe she wouldn’t have that stupid schedule anymore.

Maybe mom wouldn’t even be so obsessed with making her maintain perfect grades so much.

Maybe...she’d actually be happy.

**ᘺᕼᗩᖶ ᕲᓍ ᖻᓍᑘ ᘺᓰSᕼ ᖴᓍᖇ?**

Chihiro stared at the screen in front of her. The video player paused on the exact moment where the two main characters faced each other, torn between doing what is right and what is best.

ℐ 𝓌𝒾𝓈𝒽...


	4. Chapter 4

**𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡?**

* * *

The rain was pouring that day.

From his usual booth at the cafe, Tasuke could see the large raindrops pitter-pattering across the pavement. As usual, books were opened and scattered across the expanse of the table while his barely touched food and drink laid innocently at the farthest corner. 

However, nestled in between a stack of history and science books was a chocolate-haired girl. Her warm cocoa locks flew every which way as she laid her head on the table, using her arms as a headrest while napping peacefully. 

She’d fallen asleep almost as soon as she arrived, but not before saying a few choice words that never failed to ruffle his feathers. Unaware of her surroundings and lulled by the sound of rain and the soft jazz music that echoed gently within the establishment, she almost looked like a regular high school student.

As if she didn’t bear the weight of protecting humanity in her small shoulders.

And all for what?

𝐀 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡.

He doesn’t ask nor does he plan to ask what she wished for.

He surmises that as long as it was one made without any regrets, it wasn’t his business to know, much less judge.

Tasuke notes the large, dark circles around her eyes that seemed to get deeper and darker as time passes, but he does not pry. He figures that her escapades as a magical girl must have been taking their toll on her, especially since she juggled her regular life as a top student with her new duties.

There was only a flutter of fabric before all was quiet at their little booth once more. An oversized jacket, at least compared to her smaller frame, was draped across the sleeping girl.

And so he resumed his research.

* * *

**𝐈 𝐬 𝐢 𝐭 𝐰 𝐨 𝐫 𝐭 𝐡 𝐢 𝐭 ?**

* * *

All he could hear was the sound of a thousand chirping birds echoing across the chamber. 

Dark, grotesque effigies resembling trees stood tall around the territory. Each branch was occupied by beings that tried to look like avian wildlife yet they fell short and looked more like a child’s sincere efforts at drawing birds. He could feel all their eyes trained on him, thousands of beady orbs watching his every move as if waiting for a chance to pounce.

He could feel his heart pounding as his legs shook and threatened to give out on him at any second. The heavy, oppressive air contained within whatever subspace he was in seemingly suffocating him little by little and yet he can’t move. Not when he was being watched like mere prey by a flock of predators.

Just when Tasuke felt that he was about to faint from the miasma alone, there was movement behind the lovecraftian birds that made them turn to the source and away from him, giving him a chance to breathe.

And yet he found his breath lost yet again when the thing behind those birds moved closer until it was within his sight.

It was large and was also vaguely humanoid in shape. It had no face or rather, what served as its face was a mask. A porcelain mask that sported a large crack right in the middle of it. Behind it stood a pair of massive metallic wings, half of it was rusted and one could see spots wherein there were feathers missing. 

The rest of its body was made of wax, but its lower half was covered by...a cage? It seemed to imitate the skirt of a ball gown as it housed the rest of its waxy lower half.

He furrowed his brows, feeling dread once again clawing at his chest as he observed this ‘witch.’ It was only after several seconds did he come to notice that there was something within the confines of the prison. Unmoving but it was unmistakably a human body— 

The trouble with researchers is that once their curiosity is piqued they tend to ignore everything else around them, regardless if it poses any danger to their lives. So it is no surprise that it was too late for the ashen-haired male to notice the murder that slowly advanced on him from behind.

The only birdsong heard was the deafening caw of a crow.

* * *

“My arms are getting tired so wake up already”

.

.

.

“Hahaha. I laughed so now it’s time for you to stop pretending and just open your eyes already”

.

.

.

“...Shorstack?”

.

.

.

“I know you love yanking my chain and I admit you get me here for a second so why don’t you make my life easier and just tell me I’m a gullible idiot for falling for your little trick”

.

.

.

“If you don’t wake up in the next minute I’m not going to treat you to milktea”

.

.

.

“Don’t you wanna see the compendium I’ve been writing? I managed to get more info from that other magical girl who saved us earlier before she left”

.

.

.

“Wa—

* * *

𝐀𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲.

𝐘𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝.

* * *

—ke up!”

Tasuke wakes up with a gasp, a hand pressed against his pounding heart as his blurry eyes adjust to the onslaught of morning light. It takes a few moments for him to get his bearings as the last vestiges of sleep disappear.

He is greeted by the sight of a modest bedroom. One that he had been seeing for the past several years since he moved out of his family estate. 

After rubbing his eyes, the grown man finally left the sweet embrace of his bed and immediately rifled through a locked cabinet before taking out a heavy tome which he cradled gently as if it were a child he was holding.

“Good morning, Papa. I hope you had a good night’s sleep,” greeted the soft voice of a young girl.

Tasuke’s eyes softened, small wrinkles appearing on his face as he replied with a smile and patted her hair that was the same shade of gray as his.

He doesn’t ever admit that sometimes he imagines her with hair the color of warm chocolate and or had eyes that shone and glittered like seafoam.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my other social media accounts to see more content~
> 
> [Talk to Me](https://lexsssu.tumblr.com/ask)  
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> 


End file.
